Banded Elm Bark Beetle

Scolytus schevyrewi

Semenov

Last updated by:

Faith Campbell

September 2004

The banded elm bark beetle Scolytus schevyrewi Semenov is a bark beetle native to Asia, ranging from the Caspian Sea (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) to Korea (Anonymous, 2004). The “chevy” beetle was first collected in insect traps set in Aurora, CO (a suburb of Denver), and Ogden, UT, in April 2003 as part of the USDA Forest Service-APHIS Rapid Detection and Response project (Duerr, August 2004, pers. comm.). However, it was quickly determined that the beetle is established from California to the Midwest (Anonymous, 2004), as far east as Michigan (Haack, 2004). State records demonstrate that S. schevyrewi was present in Clovis, New Mexico, as far back as 1998 (Anonymous, 2004).

The banded elm bark beetle was probably introduced as a hitchhiker in wood packaging with bark attached (Anonymous, 2004).

In the United States, the beetle has been observed to attack and kill drought-stressed Siberian elms (Ulmus pumila) (Anonymous, 2004). So far, the beetle has attacked only American (U. americana), English (U. procera), rock (U. thomasii), and Siberian elms in the United States; but in Asia it has a broader host range, including willows (Salix spp.), fruit trees such as apricot, cherry, and peach (Prunus spp.), and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) (Anonymous, 2004).

The biology of S. schevyrewi is similar to that of S. multistriatus, another exotic bark beetle native to Europe introduced decades ago, which has been the principle vector of Dutch elm disease in the United States (Anonymous, 2004). However, the the banded elm bark beetle beetle appears to be more aggressive; in areas where it has become well established, it is much more abundant in dying elms than is S. multistriatus (Anonymous, 2004).

At this time, the banded elm bark beetle appears to pose a moderate risk to elms planted as shade trees or as windbreaks throughout the inland West, particularly during periods of drought (Anonymous, 2004).